


You Know Me (Even When I Do Not Know Myself)

by spoilmesweetie



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, Hicsqueak, our poor little useless lesbian, where there is more to Hecate's self doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 15:28:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spoilmesweetie/pseuds/spoilmesweetie
Summary: Ada is worried about Hecate and contacts Pippa to ask for her help.  They hope her concern is misplaced, but it becomes clear there is more to Hecate's behaviour than they know.aka where Ada worries, Pippa worries and Hecate wears a daring dress (and later Pippa's fluffy robe) and Agatha is gone, but her evil deeds are not.





	You Know Me (Even When I Do Not Know Myself)

Pippa heard the chiming of her mirror, a smile tugging at her lips. Since their reconciliation at the Spelling Bee, she had invited Hecate to call anytime, and so far, was pleased to have received no less than three planned, but unsolicited calls. Of course, she herself had called with rather more frequency, but she knew that for Hecate to take the time and initiative to make contact was hard for the darker witch. The fact she tried for Pippa, however, warmed her heart all the more.

Hecate had been unsure of which time she would be able to call, but had asked in her note if she might call that evening after classes. The note had transferred itself onto her desk that morning, and Pippa had carried it in the pocket of her robes the entire day.

Not wanting to leave her friend waiting, she waved a hand to answer the call, emerging from the bathroom to come into view only to find herself faced with not with her Hecate but Ada Cackle. The older woman abruptly proceeded to choke on her tea, before lowering the cup back it's saucer as she composed herself.

"How lovely to see you, Miss Cackle," greeted Pippa, deciding the moment didn’t entirely call for formal introductions. "If you give me a moment I'll just..." She waved her hand at her currently towel clad form before disappearing out of view once more. Giving herself a moment to be mortified, Pippa changed with a snap of her fingers, before setting a smile on her face and moving to sit at her desk. 

"Miss Pentangle," greeted the other woman once she was seated.

"Apologies, Ada. I had been expecting a call from Hecate." It was going to have been somewhat of an added bonus to be clad only in her towel. She had been trying for weeks to prompt the other woman into some sort of acknowledgement that she felt more than mere friendship. For an inkling that Pippa was not alone in her feelings. So far, however, beyond blushes and the odd bashful stutter over her words when Pippa had employed a rather more flirtatious tone, she had been unable to elicit any more positive response. 

"Hecate?" Repeated Ada, a frown marking her features.

It took Pippa a moment to realise the older witch was trying to fathom how much weight to place on her state of dress in accepting the expected call. "You know how she hates to be kept waiting." Hecate was a private person, she knew, and she would hate her to think she was broadcasting something she was even sure existed in their relationship yet to Ada of all people, who had become the closest thing to a mother figure the other woman had really known, not to mention her boss.

The older woman nodded. "Yes. She does that. Actually, Miss Pentangle-"

"Pippa please."

"Yes, all right. Pippa, it was actually Hecate I wanted to speak to you about." Ada paused, unsure how to continue. "I know you haven't been in touch for a number of years, but I wondered, if in speaking to her of late, whether you noticed anything changed in her?"

The blonde frowned. "Changed? How do you mean?"

"I'm concerned about her. Of late she has been withdrawn." Ada sighed. "I know she's not quite a social butterfly but she does usually at least make an effort to attend at mealtimes and drop by the staff room every now and again. Even if it is only to sneak one of the dark chocolate gingers she insists she doesn't like."

Pippa had to smile at that, and the fact that the headmistress left them out purposefully for Hecate in an attempt to tempt her away from her classroom and cauldron. 

"I have tried in the years she has been here to be open with her. To let her know that she may come to me with anything, not as her superior, but as her friend, but I am aware that there are still many aspects of herself she keeps closed off from me." She gazed at Pippa for a long moment. "I understand from Hecate that you and she were friends as children, before you went your separate ways. You're back on rather better terms now though?"

"Yes, we are," nodded Pippa. "After the Spelling Bee, we...we took some time to talk. We've been working on rebuilding our friendship since." She found her smile returning full force as she thought of Hecate, and how far they'd come since that day and those first, hesitant, stilted conversations.

"Can I ask," said Ada, pausing, taking a few attempts before finally finishing her question. "Are you and Hecate perhaps more than friends?"

Pippa's smile immediately fell, her voice lowering in warning. "I don't see how that is any of your business, Miss Cackle. Hecate may be your depute and friend but her private life is her own unless she chooses to share it with you."

"My dear, Pippa, please do not think I was casting any judgement upon either you or Hecate. I merely asked, well, to try and ascertain whether such a shift in relationship could be the cause of her current distraction. It would give her a lot to think about, I should imagine.” Ada may not have known Hecate as a child, but she had known her as a young woman, and had grown extremely fond of her since the day she had first accepted her to work in the school. She had originally worked in the gardens, before Ada realised just how gifted with potions she was and installed her as potion mistress of the school. In all the years she had known her, she hadn’t known Hecate to have had a single relationship. Even to be contemplating one, would be a huge undertaking for her.

Pippa dropped her gaze, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. “Please accept my apologies, Ada. I should have known better. Hecate only ever speaks about you in the most positive terms.”

Ada waved off the apology. “Think nothing of it. I’m rather pleased, actually, that Hecate has someone in her corner. For all she portrays such a fierce outward persona, I know she’s a gentle soul, really.”

Pippa smiled. “Yes, she is.” She looked up at the other woman, glad that her friend had found a place she could call home at Cackle's, and with people who had the patience to understand her. “We’re not anything more than friends, however. That’s not to say I wouldn’t like there to be something more, but I’d never push Hecate into something she didn’t want or wasn’t comfortable with.” 

“I don’t wish to sound like an interfering old woman,” said Ada. “But do you perhaps think it could be contemplation of such a relationship which is drawing her into herself?”

Pippa frowned. “I’d hate to think that thoughts of any such thing were causing her to be so withdrawn.” She paused, suddenly uncomfortable under Ada’s gaze. “I can’t say for certain they’re not though.”

“Please don’t be too downcast. For what it’s worth, I’ve rarely seen Hecate have to fight off a smile so often when she talks about you.” Ada waited until Pippa looked back up to meet her gaze. “I’d like to hope you can both find happiness in each other. It’s no less than you both deserve. I might ask, however, if it’s not too much, to keep my concern for her in mind and keep an eye on her.”

“Of course,” said Pippa without hesitation. “I only want to see her happy.”

“Perhaps, I might mirror you again next week? And hopefully by then you can tell me I’m just being a silly old woman.”

Pippa smiled softly. “Showing concern for Hecate is hardly the action of a foolish woman.”

The other woman returned her smile. “Thank you, Pippa. Now, I should go. You were expecting her call and here I am blocking the channel. Speak soon, dear.”

Pippa nodded in response, watching as Ada disappeared from the mirror, the familiar chime sounding almost immediately as the glass cleared. She answered with a wave, smiling as the image of Hecate filled the mirror, her hair free from its usual confines and loose around her shoulders.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” came the hesitant question. 

“No, of course! If anything someone was interrupting my time with you,” she said softly, watching as her words coaxed a small smile from the darker witch. “Your hair looks lovely.” She took in the blush that crept across Hecate’s pale cheeks. “How are you?”

“I’m well,” came the reply. “And you?”

“Better for seeing you,” smiled Pippa. “If you’re saying well I’m presuming that Cackle's has remained disaster free today?” Where before, she would read Hecate’s pause as nerves, or trying to organise her thoughts, now, after hearing Ada’s concerns she wondered if the other woman might be hiding something. There were days when Hecate would have told her anything. Those days were long ago, however, and Pippa knew it would take time to reach the level of comfort in sharing they used to have. Still, she thought, they were making marked progress.

“There’s still time in the day for a Hubble shaped disaster,” replied Hecate. “She seems to like to vary the timing of her mishaps, keep it interesting for us all.”

“Never let it be said the girl is boring,” chuckled Pippa. 

“I don’t suppose you might consider renewing your offer, try and take her off our hands again?”

The blonde shook her head. “I’m sorry, dearest, but she made her choice. She’s a loyal Cackle’s girl.”

Hecate snorted. “More’s the pity for our grade average.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Miss ‘I’m not most examiners’ Hardbroom,” she grinned. “Oh yes, I heard about that. Miss Cackle does have a wondrous flair for storytelling.” She took in the way Hecate squirmed. “But enough about your favourite student. I’m guessing she’s not why you asked to call.”

“No,” said Hecate quietly. “She’s not.”

Pippa watched as the other woman dropped her gaze, worrying her lower lip with sharp teeth, testing the blonde’s self-control as she fought to keep her mind from wondering what that delicious lower lip would taste like, or what delightful reminders those teeth might leave on her skin. She forced herself to keep her mind from wandering further, concerned that something more than nerves lay behind her hesitancy. 

“I wondered, if you might like to join me for dinner?”

The words were so quiet that Pippa almost missed them. “Hecate?” she prompted, waiting until brown eyes full of worry met her own. “Did you say dinner?”

The pale woman nodded. “I did. I thought perhaps Saturday evening if you were free?”

“Even if I wasn’t I’d clear my schedule,” smiled Pippa warmly. “Did you have somewhere in mind?” she asked, practically vibrating with excitement. Dinner on a Saturday evening could be a friendly dinner, but it could also be so much more…

“I thought I might surprise you?” The words were said in a tone so unsure, and were accompanied by such a shy, bashful smile it would have been impossible to deny her. 

“Should I come to you? Or?” She watched as Hecate took a few calming breaths before responding.

“I thought, if it’s to be a date…” She paused, licking her lips. “I should come and pick you up.”

*

Pippa paced before the window of her bed chamber. She had been ready for over an hour, not wanting to risk Hecate being early and catching her unprepared. She found herself uncharacteristically nervous as she paced, her heels ringing out in the otherwise silent room. She almost jumped at the knock on her door. She had told Hecate she could transfer straight to her, knowing that such long-distance transfer was easily within her capabilities, and had modified the protective charms and wards on the rooms enough that the other woman would be able to pass through them without difficulty. Taking a deep breath, she checked her appearance in the mirror one last time before moving to open the door.   
Her breath caught in her throat at the image that greeted her. Hecate stood, fidgeting nervously, her long hair tumbling down to her waist. She wore black, as was her usual custom, but this was anything but her usual style. “Oh, Hecate,” she breathed, finally finding her voice. "You look stunning. Do come in,” she stepped aside, allowing the other woman entry. As she passed she let her eyes drink in the halter neck black silk dress, exposing her friend’s pale shoulders and flowing from a gathered empire line to fall down just past her knees, shapely calves peeking out from below. 

So caught up in her appreciation of the other woman Pippa failed to notice that Hecate was simply staring at her, mouth slightly open, until her eyes finally settled back on her face. “Are you all right, Hecate?”

The darker witch shook herself from her reverie. “Yes. I just…you look beautiful, Pippa.” The words were said with such, reverence, as though she were something precious. “I brought you these.” She held out the pale pink roses. 

Reaching out to accept the flowers, the blonde let her fingers brush Hecate’s. “You didn’t have to.” With a flourish of her fingers, she summoned a vase, carefully arranging the stems. “But they are lovely.” She turned back to her friend, stepping forward to take nervously wringing hands in her own. “Like you.”

Hecate shook her head. “I’m not.”

“You are,” insisted Pippa. “I wouldn’t be going on a date with you if you were horrible.” She grinned. “So where are we going?”

“Trust me?” asked Hecate, linking their fingers, a small smile playing about her lips as she looked down at their entwined digits. 

“Always,” whispered Pippa, closing her eyes as she felt Hecate’s magic, somewhat unfamiliar after all this time, slip over her skin in a transference spell. 

*

When Hecate Hardbroom had asked her to dinner less than a week ago, Pippa had perhaps expected a quiet night in the other woman’s chambers, or had even had visions of a moonlight picnic. Not this. Not once in her imaginings and fantasies had she expected to be transferred to a quiet alleyway in London and walked to a French Bistro.   
She sipped her champagne, looking across the table at the woman sat opposite her. Her best friend. Her friend who she knew was trying so hard to give her what she thought was the perfect evening. Everything from her dress to the restaurant to the way she wrinkled her nose at the bubbles screamed at how much effort she was putting in to the evening. Pippa only wished she looked like she was actually enjoying it. 

Perhaps Ada was right, she mused. If Hecate had been planning all of this, it was quite possible that the stress of it all would be enough to have caused her to shut down of late. She gave her friend a warm smile across the table. If she had withdrawn into herself planning this date, it was the least Pippa could do to try and get her to open up once more. She reached across the table, laying her hand palm up in invitation.

Her smile widened as Hecate hesitantly placed her hand in hers, but not before her eyes had darted around the room, checking they weren’t drawing attention to themselves. 

“Is this okay?”

“Is what okay?” asked the blonde, a slight frown marking her features. She watched as Hecate gestured vaguely to the restaurant.

“This. Tonight.”

“Hecate, tonight has been, and is wonderful. Truly. You know you could have taken me anywhere though, and I’d have been happy just to be with you?”

She grasped Hecate’s hand in her own slightly tighter as the other woman shifted uncomfortably in her chair. 

“I wanted…I want, to do this right. To make up for…for before.” Her voice was so quiet that it was almost swallowed up among the noise of the restaurant. “You deserve to be treated properly. To be taken on proper dates.”

“Hecate, it’s incredibly sweet that you want to do that, but I mean it when I say you could take me anywhere and I would just be happy to be with you. Whatever or whoever you think I deserve, it’s you I want.” She paused, taking a breath. “I’m not saying this to put pressure on you in any way. I just want you to know that with you, wherever that is, is where I want to be. Tonight could have been a bowl of Miss Tapioca’s awful stew at Cackle’s and I wouldn’t have treasured it any less.”

The darker haired witch scowled. “You’ve never eaten anything that woman produces, have you?”

“Well no..."

Hecate smirked. "Then please believe me when I say you would have treasured that part of the evening significantly less."

*

Pippa stumbled slightly as Hecate transferred them back to the spot outside her chambers, the champagne adding to the dizziness she often felt in utilising such spells. She was braced by a gentle hand on her arm. "Sorry," she said, closing her eyes as she settled herself, the lingering touch of Hecate's still somewhat unfamiliar magic falling away. "You were always much better at handling these spells than me. Any further than a few rooms and I still get a little wobbly."

Hecate frowned. "I'm sorry. I should-"

"Please don't apologise, Hecate. I'm fine. Most likely the champagne not helping." She smiled. "Or I might just be slightly light headed from your having stolen my breath away."

"Pippa," squeaked the taller woman, flushing bright red. 

The blonde reached up to slowly cup a warm cheek, giving the darker haired witch time to stop her or move away if she felt the need. "I promised I would be honest with you, Hecate, and I am. You look wonderful. You always do, to me." She felt the cheek under her palm warm further until the colour of her friend's face almost matched that of her own scarlet dress. "Though I must admit, I do enjoy your hair free like this." She moved her free hand to brush through a few of the errant locks which had been mussed by their transference. "But I don't want you to feel you have to do any of this because it's what you think I want. If we're going to be dating, I want you to be able to relax and enjoy yourself and not force yourself into situations because you think they're what a date should be." 

She felt she was repeating herself, but if there was one thing she knew about Hecate Hardbroom, it was that she had a rather thick skull at times and getting things through it often took time, repetition and patience. "For me, a date should be with someone you want to spend time with, and just about enjoying spending that time with them."

She watched as Hecate nodded shyly. "Maybe I could try again?"

"Hecate Hardbroom, if you're asking me on a second date the answer is most definitely yes," grinned Pippa. She stood up on her tiptoes, the hand that had been cupping the taller woman's cheek falling to her shoulder as she pressed her lips to the warm soft, skin. "I'm looking forward to it already."

*

"Well met, Pippa," greeted Ada as the pink clad witch appeared in her mirror. 

"Well met, Ada," she grinned, her smiled faltering somewhat at the tense expression on the other woman's face. "Whatever is the matter?"

The grey haired witch sighed. "I had rather been hoping to call with good news, but it seems that Hecate is only withdrawing even further into herself. She looks exhausted, and now appears to be partaking in Wide Awake potions. I found the remnants of her special mix in one of her cauldrons in the potions lab."

The blonde frowned. Since their first date, she and Hecate had mirrored regularly, and she told Ada as much. Each time the witch had seemed perfectly all right. Pippa had even been able to coax a few smiles and even a full on laugh from her on more than once occasion. 

Now it was Ada's turn to frown. "I'm guessing from your tone and the fact you've said the word date you and Hecate and taking steps towards a relationship."

Pippa nodded. "Which makes it hurt all the more that she's clearly hiding something from me." She gave Ada a short summary of their dates so far, how they had agreed that taking things slowly was for the best. "I thought things were going well. Had hoped to be able to put your mind at rest."

"And now I've only served to unsettle yours," sighed Ada sadly.

The blonde shook her head. "No. I'm glad you've come to me. If there truly is something wrong I'd like to know, and while I'd prefer Hecate came to me herself-"

"As would I," added Ada.

"But if there is something troubling her to the extent she's not even sleeping I'll certainly try and see if I can try and prompt her into talking about it." She paused. "Would you mind if I visited Cackle's? I wonder if perhaps being in more familiar and comfortable surroundings would make her feel more willing to open up?"

The older witch smiled warmly at the woman across the mirror from her. "You are welcome at Cackle's any time, dear. Please consider this an open invitation."

"Thank you, Ada. I'll try and pop in on you when I visit?"

"I'll have the iced buns ready and waiting."

*

Pippa was practically panting as she pulled back, her face flushed, lips bruised from kissing the woman beneath her. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her lips at the sight of Hecate, her hair in disarray, cheeks pink and warm, her hands resting on Pippa's denim clad hips where she straddled her. This was the progress that all Pippa's hard work had made. 

In an attempt to get the other woman to open up, Pippa had tried to spend more time with her in private. Instead of their mirror chats, she would transfer or fly in to let them have tea together, reassuring Hecate that when she did transfer that a little dizziness was nothing, not when it meant she got to see her. Slowly, the darker haired witch had stopped questioning when Pippa wanted to spend time with her, and the blonde found she smiled a little easier, didn't immediately bite the inside of her cheek to quieten her laugh when it bubbled up.

Time spent in each other's proximity had also apparently opened the woman up to the physical side of their relationship. It had taken almost every ounce of self-restraint Pippa had, but she had let things progress at Hecate's pace. She had revelled in the fact that soft, hesitant brushes of their hands had become more sure. That where lips had lingered on her cheek they now sought her lips, happy to deepen the kiss as ever more confident hands roamed.

The blonde did have to admit, however, that that evening, she had been the one to shift her position to straddle her friend. But only after the darker haired witch had tugged her to sit in her lap. This wasn't pushing, she reasoned, merely making for a more comfortable angle. 

The single chime of Hecate's clock spoke of the early hour, and quite how carried away they had become. 

"I don't want to go," whispered Pippa.

Hecate looked up nervously, her thumbs gently stroking the soft skin between the top of the blonde's jeans and the bottom of her top where it had ridden up. She had been initially dubious of the black denim, but it seemed she had come to appreciate the flexibility they offered. "You could stay," she said quietly, her eyes full of hope, even if she had schooled her face into her usual mask of impassivity. "If you like."

*

Pippa knew she could use magic to change. Could use magic to alter the pyjamas that Hecate had bashfully loaned her, but there was something about the fact that they were hers; just a bit snug around her hips and a little long in the leg for her that stopped her. She knew Hecate had been watching as she had shed her jeans and the soft knit jumper she had been wearing before slipping into the practical nightwear, but she hadn’t minded. Had loved that Hecate had looked. Loved the way her eyes darkened as she took in the lightly tanned, toned skin she worked hard to maintain. 

She also knew Hecate, who used magic as easily as she breathed for such simple everyday tasks such as changing her clothes, had paused on seeing her begin to shed her clothes by hand, and after a few moments, had started to remove her own dress. It was with slightly shaky hands, Pippa noted, but there was a determined look on her face. Slowly, her black dress gave way to an ocean of pale skin, and surprisingly bright underwear. As pale skin was covered by a shift that left her legs bare from the knees down and her shoulders gloriously exposed. 

It was a wholly unfair garment arrangement as far as Pippa was concerned. 

*

As they slipped beneath the covers, Pippa was careful of crowding Hecate. Despite how close they had been on the small sofa, the atmosphere had shifted. This was new territory. She watched as the woman lay stiffly on her back, leaving a friendly six in gap between them, eyes fixed on the ceiling. It was a gap the blonde wanted to eliminate immediately, but the knowledge that if she did so, she might very well cause the darker haired witch to flee her own bed kept her where she was. Instead, she turned on her side, reaching out with one hand to gently stoke up and down Hecate's arm. 

When this was met with no argument, and no immediate tensing, she chanced shuffling a couple of inches closer. She smiled gently as Hecate turned her head to meet her eyes. "Hi."

"Hi," came the soft reply. 

Pippa had once been rather adept at reading Hecate's expression, which spoke volumes where her words couldn't, but in the years that had come between then, the blonde had come to realise that she had to learn to read her friend all over again. Where once she knew each and every one of her silences, she found it now took longer for her to fathom the reasons and respond to the silent request that was being made.

She felt Hecate's hand clench and unclench by her thigh, as though the woman was working up to something. "Pipsqueak..."

The blonde kept her expression soft, trying to reassure the woman beside her that she could make her request, and wouldn't be turned away. 

"Would you..." The darker haired woman let out a frustrated sigh, closing her eyes as her brow furrowed.

"Would you like me to hold you?" Asked Pippa, the hand that had been gently trailing up and down Hecate's arm moving to cup her cheek, as if her touch alone could soothe the troubled lines on the other woman's face. 

Dark eyes opened to meet her own, and slowly, there came a shy nod. 

"Oh you silly witch, you only had to ask." She shifted closer till she could feel Hecate's warmth through the pyjamas she wore, but left her arm by her side, giving the other woman time to comfortably arrange herself in front of her. She buried her grin in flowing dark locks as Hecate shifted back until her back was pressed to Pippa's front. Gently brushing her long hair down to ensure she didn't end up trapping it beneath her own head, the blonde slid a gentle arm around Hecate's narrow waist, nuzzling her hair aside to press a kiss to the back of her neck. "This okay?"

"Very much so," came the reply, only to be further affirmed by an arm coming to rest stop her own, linking their hands together. "Thank you, Pipsqueak."

"You hardly have to thank me for this, Hiccup. It's a pleasure and a privilege," smiled the blonde, wiggling their joint fingers in a quick cast as she turned out the lights. "Sweet dreams, dear heart."

*

The first thing that Pippa became aware of as she woke, was that Hecate was no longer in her arms. The second thing was that while the woman herself was still in bed, she was far from slumbering peacefully. She frowned, hearing the short sharp gasps that denoted the other woman’s breathing. “Hecate?”

Was she..? The blonde moved closer, hearing the whimper that left her friend’s lips. Any thoughts that Hecate might be having a rather enjoyable dream, however, left as she reached to smooth sleep mussed locks from her face. Her forehead was slick with sweat, a pained expression marking her features. “Hecate, wake up,” she whispered. “Hiccup?”  
With a wave of her hand she brought the lights up to cast a dim glow around the room. Sitting up in bed, she moved to shake her friend’s shoulder, but this only caused her to lash out, her hand connecting soundly with Pippa’s cheek. Worried, the blonde shook her harder. “Hecate, please wake up.”

“No, Agatha! Please! Please don’t.”

Agatha? Pippa was aware of what had gone on at Cackle’s under Agatha. At least, she was aware of the rumours that had reached her and what Hecate had told her. It would appear, however, that as with so many things, Hecate had somewhat understated the effect events had had on her. She turned raised her free hand to smooth over her friend’s forehead once more, cupping her cheek. 

“Wake up, Hiccup!” she called, a little louder now. She gasped as she felt the same unfamiliar ripple of magic rise sharply against her palm, causing a sting. It was then she realised that whatever magic she was feeling, it wasn’t Hecate’s. The woman may struggle to deal with emotions, and may have left her thinking she had been cast aside all those years ago, but she would never hurt her physically with magic. 

Keeping her hand firmly on Hecate’s cheek, she let her own magic flow, the whisper of a protection spell on her lips, sealed with a kiss to the darker haired witch’s clammy forehead. She pulled back when she heard a loud gasp from the woman beneath her, taking in her wide, terrified eyes.

“Pipsqueak?” Her voice was shaky as her eyes filled with tears. 

“I’m here,” breathed Pippa, surprised when Hecate all but launched herself into her arms, latching on tight and burying her face into her neck as she started to sob. “I’m here,” she repeated, bring her own arms up to smooth up and down the other woman’s back. “I’m right here.”

They stayed like that for a while, with Pippa murmuring quiet reassurances and her hands moving in smooth, but firm strokes as a physical reminder she was there. Eventually, Hecate stopped shaking and sobbing enough to pull back. 

“I’m sorry.”

Pippa shook her head, taking her friend’s still trembling hands in her own. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” She leant their foreheads together, watching as Hecate closed her eyes at the contact. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Hecate shook her head. “Can’t.”

“You can,” said the blonde, squeezing the hands in her own. “I’ll still be here when you have. I promise.” She waited, only speaking when it was clear Hecate wouldn’t. “Did she do something to you? Agatha, I mean? You were saying her name, pleading with her.”

She felt the other woman tense, before slowly withdrawing from their embrace. Pippa didn’t want to let go, but allowed her her space, watching as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, her head bowed and hands fidgeting nervously. The blonde moved to sit cross legged on the mattress beside her, as close as she could without touching. She knew that sometimes, Hecate needed space to process. That sometimes it was too much for her to handle all five senses being invaded at once. 

In place of a comforting hand on her arm, Pippa brought her magic to the surface, letting her control down in a well-practised exercise, and allowing her magic to flow outward. It was the opposite of all they had been taught as students, but the blonde was at ease in what she was doing. It was a practise she had originally learned from her mother and had since studied and perfected. She could form her magic into a literal comfort blanket. She let it extend in Hecate’s direction, hoping it would ease the tension that radiated from her friend without smothering her.

“She didn’t allow unauthorised magic.”

Pippa’s head snapped up at the sound of Hecate’s wavering voice. She had been silent so long it almost came as a shock. 

“She put alarms up all over the school. Almost nothing she didn’t cast herself was permitted. It was…difficult to adjust to.”

The blonde felt her chest tighten, knowing that this was only the beginning of her friend’s admission. Hecate used magic as easily as breathing. It was her escape. The only thing she was completely at ease with. She screwed her eyes tight shut, regulating her breathing to try and ward off the tears that threatened. She should have known when Hecate had made the joke all those weeks ago of Agatha making her physically open a door that there was more to it. At the time, she had been too pleased with Hecate making a joke to see what it had been covering. 

“I’m so used to using magic, that I…I was the cause of a number of infractions against the ban on unauthorised magic. At first, it was just words. Reminders that I was barely permitted to do more than teach my classes without her express permission. Then it was hexes…”

Pippa could hear the waver in Hecate’s voice, see her hands shaking. “They were easy enough to take. Little stings here and there. Nothing worse than I’d experienced before. At least if they were aimed at me, they weren’t being aimed at the girls.”

The blonde couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her beautiful Hecate, so closed off to so many, but so willing to give, even to the point where gave everything she had to the point of self-sabotage. She ached to hold her, but held back, her hands clutching at the bed covers to stop herself reaching out.

“She got inside my head.”

Pippa looked up. “Why didn’t you say anything?” She knew why, of course. Hecate, even as a child, would never admit to anything she considered a weakness. She would say the hexes were nothing she couldn’t handle. That Agatha’s harsh words were nothing more than words, never admitting they had touched a nerve. That they had opened up old insecurities that Hecate still silently struggled with.

“What was there to say? She would only try and send me away, and then what? What would have happened to the girls then? To the school? To Ada?”

The blonde tried to blink back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill. “Oh, Hecate.” She took the shaking hand that reached out for her, clasping it tightly between her own. “Has this been happening since Agatha was here?” She watched as Hecate nodded miserably. “Are the nightmares why you’ve been taking wide awake potion?”

Hecate snatched her hand back. “How do you know about that?” 

Pippa cursed herself for broaching the subject so casually. “Hecate, I didn’t mean…” She reached out to catch the other woman’s fidgeting hands in her own. “I’m worried about you. Ada is worried about you. She came looking for you and found the remains of a batch of wide awake potion in one of your cauldrons.”

“Ada?” A look of horror passed over Hecate’s face. “You’ve been talking to Ada about me?” 

The blonde held fast to the darker haired witch’s hands, even as she made to tug them out of her grasp. “Hecate, please. Ada only called because she’s been worried. She said you’d been so quiet and withdrawn. She only called me to ask if I might know why.” She squeezed the hands in her own. “I know how private you are, but I swear, this only came from a place of concern. A justified one, it seems.” She reached out, gently wiping the tears from Hecate’s cheek. “Please just let me help, Hiccup.”

She watched and waited, until finally the darker haired woman allowed herself to turn until she could curl into her side. Pippa stroked a gentle hand through her hair. “What happens in these nightmares that you don’t even want to sleep?”

“It’s Agatha. Always her,” sniffled Hecate. “Sending me away. Threatening to hurt the girls. Hurting me. Not being able to save Ada.” She shook her head. “It’s stupid, getting like this over bad dreams at my age…”

“No,” said Pippa. “It’s not. You’re one of the bravest witches I know Hecate Hardbroom, and if whatever is happening in your nightmares has you this shaken, I know you’re barely telling me the start of it. But you know you can’t live on wide awake potion forever. You can’t run on fumes, Hiccup.”

“I know. But I sleep and I can’t stop them. At least when I’m awake…” She trailed off, her interest suddenly centred on the blonde’s hands. She turned Pippa’s left hand over, tracing a finger over the raised welt across her palm. “How did this happen?”

“Has you magic felt odd of late?”

“I did this?” gasped Hecate. 

“No,” said Pippa. “I don’t think you did. In fact, I know you didn’t. I know you would never use magic to harm anyone.”

“And never you,” breathed Hecate, looking up at the blonde, her face serious. “But this?” She reached up to touch a quickly developing bruise blooming on Pippa’s face.   
“I tried to wake you. You lashed out,” explained the blonde. “An accident.”

“So I did hurt you?” It was a statement, not a question. Pippa’s heart broke at the tremble in Hecate’s voice. 

“Hiccup, I’m not worried about this,” said Pippa, gesturing to her face. “This could have been a rogue spell from one of my students, or not paying close enough attention when flying. I’m worried about what did this.” She opened her palm. “Because I know it wasn’t you. I know what your magic feels like.” She took a deep breath. “Hiccup, before...you said at least when you’re awake…There’s more than the nightmares, isn’t there?”

She watched as a miserable Hecate nodded. “I feel…I sometimes feel like I used to. Like nothing I do is good enough. That I don’t fit in. That I should just…go. Take myself away.” She sniffled, wiping clumsily at her eyes. “It’s exhausting.” 

Pippa watched as Hecate’s shoulders slumped, as though the admission in itself was a relief. “You never said a word.” She waited until dark eyes met her own. 

“I don’t always think those things with you. You help block everything else out,” she admitted. She looked away once more, before admitted shyly. “I had hoped…I hoped that if you stayed…that the nightmares might stay away.”

The blonde shifted to wrap the trembling woman before her in a fierce hug. Hecate thought of her as her safe place, and frankly, Pippa thought that was possibly the highest honour anyone could ever bestow on her. She buried her face in dark locks, breathing in the scent of the other woman. “I wish I could, darling. I would tear that witch limb from limb if it would take away your pain.” She pulled back to look her in the eye. “I mean it, Hiccup. I’d do anything to take your pain. To ease those doubts.” She was pleased when her words brought the glimmer of a smile to Hecate’s lips. "I truly mean it."

“I know you do,” breathed Hecate, lunging forward without warning to press her lips roughly against soft pink lips.

Recognising her need for contact and for a break from the emotionally draining conversation, Pippa let her lips meet the silent demands of the other woman. Hands fisted in her hair, and she willingly let Hecate take what she needed. Slowly, their kisses became less bruising, until they were little more than a series of soft pecks. Finally leaning their forehead’s together, Pippa gently nuzzled Hecate’s nose with her own. “We need to talk to Ada.”

She felt the answering nod against her head. “She’s the most familiar with Agatha’s magic, and if anyone can help release you from whatever still has a hold over you it’s going to be her.”

“You’ll come with me?” asked Hecate, her voice small and quiet as she pulled back.

“Hiccup, I’m not leaving your side,” said Pippa. “Not unless you want me to.” 

The blonde cast her eyes around the room, landing on Hecate’s dark and practical robe. Not the most comforting. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her own fluffier robe, holding it out to the other woman. She smiled softly as she gestured for her to take it, watching as she slipped it on, burying her face in the soft fabric of the collar. With a nudge of her foot, she also gestured to the fluffy slippers lying by her feet. 

Even with tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes, Hecate’s signature eyebrow raise still had its effect. “I’ll wear my own slippers, thank you. Yours are…”

“Unicorns,” supplied the blonde, smiling at the blissfully light-hearted moment. “Yes. Rather sweet don’t you think.”

“They have glitter on their horns,” came the flat statement.

“Well of course they do. They’re unicorns. What else are they to have on their horns?” she asked, standing and slipped in her own feet into them. She held out her hands for Hecate to take. “Do you feel up to transferring?”

“I…I’m a little shaky.”

Pippa nodded, trying not to show how worried Hecate's words made her. She had never known her to not use magic where she had the choice. “We can walk? Or I can transfer us, if you like? You’d have to direct me though.”

Hecate stood, recalling how as children they’d often transfer each other, one taking the lead on directions. Taking the blonde’s hands, she nodded, closing her eyes, keeping Ada’s chambers in mind as she enjoyed the sensation of Pippa’s magic slipping over her skin, warm and welcoming like the witch it belonged to. Finally opening her eyes, she found the shorter woman standing before her, a gentle smile on her lips. 

“Ready?”

*

Ada started awake in the dark, initially unsure of the cause of her disturbance. A further three sharp wraps on her door, however, pulled her from her bed. She knew that knock. Too high on the wood of her door to be a student, and with too much purpose and uniformity to be anyone other than her deputy. Pulling the door open, she frowned upon seeing her usually stoic friend looking quite thoroughly miserable, wrapped in a pink fluffy robe and with the comforting arm of Miss Pentangle around her waist. 

Without a word, she opened the door wide and stepped aside. She watched sadly as Hecate shuffled inside, guided by the blonde. Her eyes lingered on the bruise on the shorter woman’s cheek, but a firm shake of Pippa’s head told her that now was not the time to question it.

“I’m taking from your expression that whatever discussion is to come isn’t going to be an easy one. Would you like tea? Perhaps something stronger?” she asked as she waved a hand to light a fire in the fireplace and nodded for them to take a seat.

Hecate even seemed to surprise herself when she spoke. “Something stronger if you have it.”

Ada met Pippa’s gaze over the darker haired witch's head as the blonde settled her on the sofa. She found her own concern mirrored back at her. She’d barely known Hecate to touch a drop of alcohol, and if she did, it was only ever in the most relaxed of company. Never as a crutch or coping mechanism. Without a word, she waved a hand and a tea tray appeared on the table. A further flourish of her wrist brought a single crystal glass and the decanter of whisky she kept tucked away. Pouring a small measure, she held the glass out to her potions mistress, who accepted it with slightly trembling hands. 

“I’m taking from your visit and your expression that my concern for you over the past few weeks has not been without reason?”

The whisky was downed in one swift motion. “No, it would appear it hasn’t.” Her words have way to silence. 

Ada sat, perching on the edge of the armchair opposite the two women. “I don’t mean to push, Hecate, but if I don’t know what’s been troubling you I can’t help.”

“Agatha.”

Ada froze on hearing her sister’s name. She had suspected there was more to her sister’s actions that Hecate or her staff her ever told her, but to think that whatever cruelties her sister had inflicted had all but brought Hecate Hardbroom to her knees…

“She…she was very keen to restrict the use of magic that wasn’t her own. And to punish others when they didn’t abide by her rules. I often failed to abide by her rules, and faced the consequences…” Hecate reached for the decanter on the table in front of her, pouring a generous measure. “She seemed to enjoy taunting me.”

“She had the capacity to be very cruel,” said Ada, doing her best to keep her voice level. “Did she hurt you Hecate?”

The darker haired witch dropped her gaze to her feet, her hair falling in a curtain over her face. She felt Pippa’s hand come to rest on the back of her shoulder, rubbing gently. “I couldn’t let her hurt the girls,” she whispered. 

“Hecate, what did she do to you?”

Running a hand through her hair, she swept it back over her face, blinking furiously to keep her tears from spilling down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, counting as she breathed, the fingers of her free hand tapping against her knee as she did so, trying to calm herself. It didn’t have the effect she’d hoped and she felt her breaths becoming shallower and more rapid. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t say the words again. Not to Ada. She turned a pleading glance at Pippa, willing her to understand. 

The blonde shifted closer, the hand that had been gently rubbing her shoulder coming to rest more firmly on her back. “Breathe, Hiccup. It’s only Ada and I here. You're safe.” She brought her free hand up to gently cup her cheek, her thumb wiping away a few stray tears. “Would it be easier if I perhaps explained a little?”

Hecate nodded, even though her eyes were full of uncertainty. She turned to curl herself into Pippa’s side, uncomfortable in displaying such weakness and need for such affection in front of anyone, but she finding that the contact grounded her. 

“You’ll tell me if you want me to stop?” asked the blonde gently. “If it’s too much?” She waited for Hecate’s nod before speaking further. “It seems Agatha was fond of physical and psychological punishment. And from what I’ve gathered Hecate seemed to bear the brunt of it.” She looked over at Ada. “She had taken to using simple hex’s as punishment. But I was wondering, was Agatha fond of lasting hex’s or curses?”

Ada rubbed a hand over her face. “She was destructive, vindictive, so yes. She would inflict pain where she could, and if it could be lasting, well...” Her gaze lingered on the back of Hecate’s head where it was pressed into the blonde’s shoulder. Of all the people Agatha could have targeted, she hated her for having picked her deputy. Truly hated her. Hecate was such a gentle soul beneath her stony façade. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve noticed that Hecate’s magic feels odd. I noticed it when she first used a transference spell with me. At the time, I put it down to the years between us, to our having changed. But it didn’t feel any more Hecate in the time we spent together. I know what her magic feels like, but this…It’s like there was something else. And tonight…” She paused, glancing down at Hecate, unsure of whether to continue. To do so would disclose the fact she had spent the night in her bed. But then, she realised, so most likely did turning up in the small hours of the morning with her. “Hecate was having a nightmare, and when I tried to wake her, something did this to me.” She extended her hand, palm upward. “The magic that did this wasn’t Hecate’s. Hecate’s magic is…it’s like stepping out of the shade into the sun. Or coming in from the cold to sit in front of a roaring fire. It’s warm and rich and intense. This was darker, angrier.”

Ada sighed. Every witches magic had a feel and signature unique to them. Having been on the receiving end of Agatha's magic more than once, she knew just how angry it could be. She pushed herself to her feet, holding out her hands. “Do you mind if I..?”

Pippa held out her scarred hand for inspection, allowing Ada to probe it with her own magic. The trace was faint, but she could recognise her sister’s magic there.

“It’s hers,” sighed Ada. “And you think she’s left some sort of lingering hex or put a curse on Hecate?”

“It would explain her…symptoms,” explained Pippa, bringing a hand to stroke gently through dark tresses. She was pleased that Hecate’s breathing had calmed, but she was aware of her tense posture, and the tight grip the other woman had on her pyjama top with her free hand.

“Symptoms?” 

“Hecate, perhaps it’s best if you explain?” suggested the blonde. “It might help Ada to figure out what Agatha may have done? I don't want to try and explain and miss something that might be important."

The women waited patiently while Hecate collected herself as best she could, and offered, as far as she was able, her version of events, from the vicious verbal barbs Agatha had directed at her, to the painful hex's and cruel punishments. The way she had ridiculed her and sent her away as if she were just some nuisance. When Agatha had been banished to the painting, she had thought it would stop, but then the nightmares had started, bleeding into her waking life, leaving her struggling to focus on anything.  
"Hecate, the thoughts you've been having..." Started Ada, wiping furiously at the tears in her eyes as she fought to keep the anger from her voice. Her anger wasn't for the woman in front of her, but her sister. She might have to entrust the picture containing her sister to the Great Wizard for safe keeping, lest it find itself thrown into the nearest fire. "Would you say they are self-destructive by nature?"

"I suppose you might describe them as so, yes," replied Hecate, taking a sip from the glass in her hand. 

"Then I might know what this is," said Ada sadly. "A self-destructive curse. I know my sister used one many moons ago when we were both still at school. Abigail Hargrove. Lovely girl, very popular...my sister cast one of these curses on her and over the months that followed she almost dropped out of school. She became so unsure of herself, timid, wouldn't speak to anyone. She started failing tests..." Ada sighed. "It was awful. It was only by chance that it was discovered what was going on. She was taken to the doctor, and the mark of the curse was found on her." She looked over at the sullen witch opposite her. "You haven't noticed any marks, have you Hecate?"

The darker haired woman shook her head. "Not that I could say, but then, I tend to use magic to change."

"In school, she had to touch Abigail to place the curse. She placed it on the back of her shoulder then. She didn't...she didn't lay a hand on you, did she?"

Hecate shrugged. "There's no specific instance I can recall." 

"It's not on the back of your shoulder, or your arms," said Pippa, trying not to dwell on what Hecate's previous statement implied. She offered a sad smile to the woman next to her. "I'd have noticed the night you wore that dress. And I can’t say I’ve noticed it anywhere obvious.”

“It’s possible she’s developed a way to cast them without having to touch you, or to leave a mark but if there seems to be lingering residual magic I’d expect some physical sign of it.” She leant her elbows on her knees, leaning forward to catch Hecate’s eye. “Perhaps you could use the mirror in my bathroom, see if you can’t find some trace?”

*

Hecate stood before the mirror, taking in the dark circles below her eyes she no longer had the energy to glamour, and the way her hair hung limply down to her waist, lacking its usual shine. With a sigh, she reluctantly parted Pippa’s robe, taking a moment to nuzzle her face into the soft fabric, inhaling the blonde’s scent and letting it comfort her. Slipping the robe from her shoulders, she hung it carefully on the back of Ada’s bathroom door before turning back to the mirror. She turned this way and that, lifting her hair, but finding nothing. Waving a hand, she tiredly vanished her slip, scanning her pale skin for any traces Agatha’s mark. She twisted and turned awkwardly, trying to make sure she checked everywhere. She found nothing, however.

Shoulder’s slumped in defeat, she reached for Pippa’s robe, wrapping the soft fabric around herself once more before slipping the door open a fraction. She could see Ada and Pippa beyond, the blonde perched on the arm of Ada’s chair, speaking quietly to her, as she sat with her head bowed. 

Opening the door further, she caught Pippa’s eye. “Could you..?” She didn’t need to finish her question. The blonde was by her side in a moment. “I can’t see anything. Would you look? In case I’ve missed anything?”

“Of course,” nodded Pippa, following the darker haired witch into the bathroom and gently closing the door behind them. She waited as Hecate shyly shed her robe, until she was standing next to her in only her underwear. Taking the robe from the other woman, she hung it on the back of the door, taking a moment to breathe before turning back to Hecate and having her breath taken away all over again. “I know this hardly the time or the place, but I can’t not say it. You’re beautiful, Hiccup.” She stepped forward to rest her hands on the gentle flare of her friend’s hips. 

Hecate allowed herself to rest her arms around Pippa’s shoulder, leaning their foreheads together. “I’m sorry about all this,” she whispered, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.

“No,” said Pippa, dipping her head to meet the other woman’s gaze. “Don’t you dare be sorry. This is not your fault.” She brought her hands up to cup Hecate’s cheeks, gently wiping away her tears before standing on tip toe to place a soft kiss to slightly salty lips. “Now, let’s see what we can find, hmm?”

Hecate felt the loss of the blonde’s touch keenly, and only as she stepped back did she take her arms from around the other woman’s shoulders, crossing them protectively over her chest. She closed her eyes, uncomfortable in being so exposed. She could hear Pippa move around quietly around her, and resumed her earlier counting as she breathed. In for eight. Out for eight. She flinched slightly at the feeling of soft fingers on her skin, only relaxing as Pippa’s voice reached her ears, murmuring quiet reassurances. Hands moved gently over her skin with purpose, carefully moving aside her hair and bra straps. Each time Pippa’s hands left her skin, she placed a gentle kiss in their wake. 

Opening her eyes, Hecate found the blonde crouched before her. She looked up with a soft smile. 

“Okay?”

If she was honest, Hecate didn’t quite know the answer, but she felt safe in Pippa’s hands, so she nodded. She watched as the blonde’s hands reached towards her hips once more, her fingers brushing the fabric of her underwear. 

“I’m just going to…”

Hecate squirmed slightly as Pippa lowered the waistband of her underwear slightly, before shifting around to her side, and moving aside the fabric that covered the crest of her hip. As she moved to stand behind her, Hecate heard a small gasp. Gentle fingers touched her skin just to the right of the base of her spine, the contact sending a sharp and painful jolt through her system. She yelped, turning sharply.

Pippa remained crouched, her eyes full of something Hecate couldn’t quite read. When she spoke, her voice was low, tinged with a cold anger.

“Hecate, if Agatha did have to touch you to curse you, how did she touch you there? The dresses you wear…how did she touch you at all?” 

The blonde rose slowly, clenching trembling hands into fists. 

“Did she touch you…”

It dawned on Hecate what Pippa was asking. “No! No, Pipsqueak, never. I swear on The Code itself.” She reached for the blonde’s hands, teasing open her fists to link their fingers together.

“Then how?”

Hecate sighed. Now that she knew where the mark was, she could make a pretty good guess at the day it was cast. “She often threw small hex’s at me to burn me, or cut me. If this happened when I think it did, she was in a particularly vicious mood. Her hex’s ripped at my dress and burned the fabric. She saw laughed, telling me she didn’t tolerate her teachers being so tardy and pushed me out the door of her office.”

“Never leave me alone with that picture she’s trapped in, Hiccup, or I swear I’ll free her just to take her down myself for what she did to you.”

Hecate had never heard Pippa quite so angry. Her friend was not prone to violence, but she didn’t doubt for a moment that if the blonde found herself face to face with Agatha Cackle, that the latter would not come out of it well. She even doubted she would come out of it alive. She squeezed the hands in her own, bringing the blonde back to her. “Don’t let her do this to you. She’s done enough.”

She watched as Pippa let out a long, slow breath. “I’m sorry, Hiccup. I can’t help it when it comes to you. The notion of anyone hurting you…It just makes my blood boil.” Freeing one of her hands, the blonde brought it up to cup Hecate’s cheek. “I wish I'd been there for you. I could have helped.”

"You’re helping me now."

Pippa nodded. “The sooner you’re free of this the better.” She plucked her robe from the back of the door, helping Hecate into it before tying it snugly around her waist. “Are you ready?”

*

Ada looked up at the sound of the bathroom door opening. “Did you find anything?”

Hecate nodded. “There’s a mark.”

Pippa guided them back to the sofa by the fire, smiling softly as Hecate tugged their joint hands to rest in her lap. With her free hand, she drew a quick approximation of the mark in the air, using her magic to make it visible. “Does this look familiar?”

The older witch sighed. “Unfortunately yes.”

"Do you remember how they undid it before with the girl at your school?"

Ada shook her head with a sad sigh. "I'm afraid I wasn't privy to the specifics. I did ask my mother about it though. She said it wasn't a curse that could be removed by the person over which it had been cast, but rather, that, it had to be removed by someone who didn't believe any of the negative things the curse makes the bearer think."

Pippa found she was finally able to smile. "Then I think between the two of us we should have no trouble in lifting it." She squeezed the hand in her own, waiting until Hecate looked at her before she spoke. "If it needs to be broken by witches with a positive opinion of you I don't think you'll find any better candidates."

Nodding in agreement, Ada smiled. "I quite agree." She looked over to Pippa. "I believe you're the wordsmith, Miss Pentangle. Perhaps you'd like to try and draft the spell to undo this? In the meantime, I can see what I can find in the library."

"Of course." Pippa summoned a pen and a notepad, already scribbling away. She looked up at Ada. "I'd maybe leave the library until we've tried this, though. I have a feeling that undoing this curse is likely to be much simpler than placing it in the first place." 

Ada and Hecate watched as Pippa went back to her scribbling, the latter struggling to keep her eyes open. She itched to summon some wide away potion, but knew she would never be allowed to take it even if she did. That, and for the first time in months, she had hope of the weight being lifted from her shoulders. Of sleeping thought the night undisturbed by the nightmares which had plagued her. She felt her eyes closing, and promptly jerked herself awake. Blinking furiously in an attempt to keep her eyes open and wake herself up a little, she almost jumped when Ada settled on the arm of the couch next to her, having been too preoccupied to see her approach. 

"I want to apologise, Hecate. I should have done more. Protected you better."

Hecate shook her head. "There was nothing you could have done."

"I wish you'd come to me. Let me help," said Ada, her eyes wet. 

The darker haired witch sighed, dropping her head, her eyes fixing on she and Pippa's joint hands in her lap. "It took me a long time to start making sense of things. The thoughts I've been having...they're not new to me." She hand linked with her own squeezed tight, a reminder she wasn't facing this alone. She didn't look up, however, and judging from the continued scratching of Pippa's pen, she hadn't expected her to. "If it hadn't been for you and Pippa, I likely wouldn't have realised there was anything more to it than my own insecurities."

Ada wiped at the tears threatening to spill. "I feel like I haven't been much of a friend to you Hecate, if you didn't feel you could come to me. I think of you as one of my dearest friends, and I had hoped you thought of me as the same."

"I do, Ada," she replied. "And if I had realised what this was, I would have sought your advice."

"Even without realising what this was, Hecate," said Ada, her voice gentle. "If you ever feel like you're getting overwhelmed, whatever the cause, I won't think any less of you for telling me. I'll only be here with a willing ear and hands aching to help."

Hecate nodded, finding she had to wipe away tears of her own. She knew the curse was magnifying her doubts and insecurities, but even without it she would have found it difficult to accept such open support and affection. She vowed to herself, however, to try and become better at it. Her friends didn't deserve to be pushed away in their attempts to support her just because she found accepting help difficult. They didn't consider her a burden, or want to ridicule her when she admitted her faults, only be there for her, and ease the weight from her shoulders if they could.

Not having wanted to interrupt the moment, Pippa waiting until she caught Ada's eye before reaching across and passing her the proposed spell. She watched as Ada's eyes skimmed over the words before looking up at her with a nod.

"I think this should do the job just nicely. Simple, but hopefully effective."

Without having to say a word, they both stood, Ada moving to stand behind the couch where Hecate sat while Pippa stood in front of her, meeting her worried gaze with a gentle smile. Reaching out, she linked hands with Ada, creating a circle of two, Hecate finding herself in the middle of it.

With a nod, they spoke together. 

"Surrounded by love, set this witch free  
Of the harms intended for she.  
Free her of doubts placed in her mind,  
By a witch so very unkind."

The words of the spell were gentle and intentionally so. The curse itself had been one of self-doubt, self-destruction and self-loathing, one filled and fuelled by the anger and hatred of the caster, so in trying to break it, she wanted her spell to be full of love and kindness. She knew she hadn't said the words to her yet, at least not aloud, but she knew and had known since she was sixteen years old that she loved Hecate deeply. 

On the third repetition of the spell, they all both saw and felt the curse break, the room suddenly feeling brighter, the atmosphere lifting as a cloud of green smoke drifted from Hecate, who gasped at the sensation it brought with it.

Looking up at her friends, Hecate could feel herself trembling, tears trailing down her cheeks. Despite that, however, she found herself smiling as she was quickly wrapped in a hug by both witches, finding that for once the contact was not overwhelming, but rather comforting. "Thank you."

"The spell only worked because the words were true," said Ada, stepping back. "You are surrounded by love, Hecate."

"And are so deserving of it," added Pippa, pressing a kiss to her cheek before standing.

"Now," said Ada, straightening her robe. "You must be exhausted. Bed for now, I think? But remember, my door is always open if you ever wish to talk. And that offer goes for both of you."

Hecate nodded, letting Pippa pull her to her feet. "Thank you, Ada. Truly."

The blonde flashed her a warm smile. "And my thanks too. For everything." With a final nod, she transferred herself and Hecate back to the other witch's chambers. She held her, bracing her as she swayed a little on the spot through sheer exhaustion. "You okay?"

Nodding, Hecate took a breath, gathering herself. "Just tired."

"Come on then," Pippa tugged her gently back in the direction of her bed. "Hopefully you'll be able to sleep."

"I think I'd be able to sleep on a bed of nails right about now," admitted the other woman. She did hesitate, however, if only slightly, before shedding Pippa's robe once more. With a tired flock of her wrist and none of her usual flair, Hecate swapped her underwear for a ratty old cotton nightshirt she only usually reserved for infrequent bouts of illness. It was old and threadbare, but soft against her sensitive skin. 

Pippa had already clambered into bed and knew by the way Hecate held herself that she was self- conscious of how she looked, of what she might say about her choice of nightwear. "Come here." She shuffled down in the bed, laying on her back with her arms open in invitation. She waited until Hecate settled against her, her head resting on her shoulder and arm tentatively around her waist before reaching out with her magic to dim the lights. "Comfortable?"

She felt Hecate nod against her chest. "Good." Though she felt the other woman relax against her, she knew she wasn't asleep quite yet. She was patient, however, waiting for Hecate to voice whatever was still on her mind.

"Your spell," said Hecate, her voice barely a whisper. "Do you really love me?"

Pippa pressed a kiss to the top of the other witch's head. "I really do. So very much."

Hecate was quiet for a while after that, gathering her courage before whispering. "I love you too." Fumbling in the dark, she reached for Pippa's hand, bringing it to her lips.   
Smiling in the darkness, Pippa relished the warmth and the tingling sensation of her palm as the wound from Agatha's magic was healed. That was what Hecate's magic felt like.


End file.
